R.I.P
Mr Sarabjit Singh was attacked by inmates in Kot Lakphat Prison in Lahore Pakistan on Friday 25th of April 2013. It is believed that Mr Sarabjit Singh died shortly after the attack. It is understood that he was left bleeding for more than two hours by the prison officials before he was admitted into hospital.

The murder was facilitated by the State; the perpetrators used sharp objects and bricks made available to them in a high security prison to attack Mr Sarabjit Singh. This attack took place during the run up to the elections in Pakistan.
The perpetrators were arrested and have yet to be tried. A prison warden was suspended.

On the 18th of May 2013, the Pakistani authorities ordered an inquiry into Mr Sarabjit Singh’s murder to be presided by His Honour Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi. Submissions were made on behalf of Mr Sarabjit Singh’s family. We were invited to attend the hearing to make submissions in person. This inquiry is yet to be listed.

Mr Sarabjit Singh is an Indian National who was convicted and sentenced to death by a court in Pakistan in 1991 for his alleged involvement in terrorists attacks in Pakistan.

He has been in solitary confinement for over 19 years in a small cramp cell without insufficient space for him to stand upright. Until the recent intervention of a human rights group from Canada, Mr Sarabjit Singh remained shackled in his cell.

Mr Sarabjit Singh has maintained his innocence from the outset. He continues to maintain he is farmer from a village near Amritsar in the Punjab, married with two daughters both of whom were toddlers at the time of his arrest.

Mr Sarabjit Singh’s Sister Mrs Dalbir Kaur has campaigned tirelessly on behalf of her brother since his arrest and continues to do so to date.

Mr Singh does not have the benefit of a legal team in India. His current lawyer in Pakistan is Mr Awais Sheikh who is a human rights lawyer.The original mercy peition was filed by by the previous lawyer and was rejected by president Pervaiz Musharaf on the grounds it was out of the statutory limitation period.

Mr Sheikh has filed a fresh petition with the President Asif Ali Zardari , immediately after review petition was dismissed in Supreme Court following the failure of the previous lawyer to attend the hearing.

The mercy petition lodged by Mr Sheikh is currently waiting to be determined by President Asif Ali Zardari. A letter written by Sarabjit Singh praying for mercy ( handed over to Mr Sheikh at his recent meeting with Mr Sarabjit Singh in Jail) has been annexed to the mercy petition together with the letter from his sister Mrs Dalvir Kaur in support of the mercy petition. Mr Sheikh has continued to passionately defend and highlight Mr Singh’s plight in the media. Mr Sheikh has waived his legal fee.

• The court papers show that the case is against ‘Manjit Singh’; Mr Sarabjit Singh adamantly maintains he has never been known by the name of ‘Manjit Singh’; all of his official documents in India refer to him as ‘Sarabjit Singh’. This case is a clear case of mistaken identity. Identity was never verified in the original trial.

• Mr Sarabjit Singh’s original trial did not test any forensic evidence that linked him to the attacks.

• Mr Sarabjit Singh’s trial was in English; Mr Singh does not speak or understands English. His main language is Punjabi. An interpreter was not provided.

• Mr Sarabjit Singh was beaten up and tortured upon his arrest and forced to sign a confession.

• The Pakistani authorities failed to report with immediate effect Mr Sarabjit Singh’s arrest to the Indian Consulate upon his arrest. He was denied his right

to seek independent legal advice. This is a blatant breach of Article 36 of the Vienna Convention as well as a serious contravention of the United Nations Convention in relation to human rights.

• Mr Sarabjit Singh’s original trial lawyer in Pakistan misappropriated the money raised by Mr Sarabjit Singh’s family in support of his defence. The quality of the defence prepared by the original lawyer is poor and one which was drafted by an incompetent and inexperienced lawyer without any reference or due regard to the actual evidence in the case.

• An appeal against Mr Sarabjit Singh’s death sentence was lodged by Mr Singh’s original lawyer. The appeal hearing took place on the 24th of June 2009; his lawyer failed to attend the hearing and the appeal was dismissed. Mr Singh’s death sentenced has been deferred indefinitely. He continues to remain imprisoned in the Kot Lakhpat Prison in Lahore Pakistan.

• Mr Singh’s family has been repeatedly denied travel visas to Pakistan to visit him in prison.

For further information please refer to the Amnesty International website

The 'Free Sarabjit Singh Campaign' at www.freesarabjitsinhg.com is a free and an independent humanitarian campaign for the furtherance of human rights. This campaign is not connected to, and or in any way affiliated to any religious sect or political party.